On Thursday, Bruce Willis’ family provided an update on the actor’s health, revealing that frontotemporal dementia has been identified as the cause of his worsening condition.
Bruce’s condition has worsened since we first revealed his aphasia diagnosis in the spring of 2022, and we now know he has frontotemporal dementia, according to a statement from his family.
“Unfortunately, Bruce’s communication problems are only one sign of his illness. Although this is difficult, it is a comfort to receive a definitive diagnosis at last.
The information follows his family’s announcement that Willis would retire from acting in March 2022 owing to health concerns.
Frontotemporal dementia: what is it?
According to the AFTD, a collection of brain disorders known as frontotemporal dementia, or FTD, are brought on by the degeneration of the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain. According to the Mayo Clinic, those regions of the brain are typically linked to personality, behavior, and language.
There are several kinds of the condition, which varies from Alzheimer’s in that frontotemporal dementia patients are often younger. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, most patients with frontotemporal dementia receive their diagnosis while they are in their early 40s to early 60s. Willis is 67.
The AFTD claims that because FTD typically manifests at a younger age, it has a significantly larger impact on job, family, and finances than Alzheimer’s.
Frontotemporal dementia is how common?
According to the AFTD, frontotemporal dementia has been diagnosed in 50,000–60,000 Americans. According to the group, it frequently requires more than three years to receive an accurate diagnosis and is frequently misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s, depression, Parkinson’s, or a psychiatric disease.
According to Willis’ family, the actor was initially identified as having a distinct kind of brain condition called aphasia.
